New Cy Young candidate emerges for Dodgers; when will Shohei Ohtani get going?

Welcome to The California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.

PITCHER OF THE WEEK

Tyler Glasnow (2 starts, 15 innings, 1 run this week; 3-0, 2.45 ERA on season)

The Dodgers have been talking about Yoshinobu Yamamoto as arguably one of the game’s best pitchers since last postseason. They spent much of the spring imagining how Shohei Ohtani could also compete for a Cy Young Award in his return to full-time pitching.

This week, however, another of the team’s rotation anchors entered the mix for early-season Cy Young contention.

With a seven-inning, one-run start in Colorado, then a scoreless eight-inning gem in San Francisco, Tyler Glasnow was not to be forgotten.

“For me, he’s going to be in that conversation,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s going to be fun to watch him this year.”

So far this season, Glasnow has elevated his game mentally and strategically.

The mentality part was on display during his outing in Colorado on April 17, when he navigated frigid conditions during his first career start at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

“You’re not going to feel great every outing,” Roberts said. “There’s going to be stress, there’s going to be things that you can’t control and you got to be able to manage it. And I think now he’s equipped mentally to do that, to go along with this stuff.”

And as for the stuff, Glasnow has made an important evolution with his pitch mix.

Before joining the Dodgers, he had effectively shelved a two-seam fastball he used earlier in his career. But now, it’s a key part of what makes him difficult to hit.

On Thursday in San Francisco, Glasnow used the weapon heavily against the Giants, firing it 46 times to match a career high he set in 2017 with the Pirates.

Glasnow said the usage of the pitch simply came down to feel, finding more comfort with his sinker than his traditional four-seam fastball. But even on days he leans on it less, it has become a game-changer in the way opponents have to prepare against him. With 10 ½ inches of arm-side run, he noted, it gives hitters “just so much to cover.”

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Overall this season, Glasnow is 3-0 with a 2.45 ERA. His 0.70 WHIP is best in the National League, while his 31.7% strikeout rate ranks third.

Those are the kind of numbers that portend a potential Cy Young candidacy. The Dodgers already had a couple pitchers in that picture. Now, they can add a third.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Max Muncy (.462 average, 4 home runs, 5 RBIs this week)

In a week most of the Dodgers’ star hitters seemed to struggle, Max Muncy instead found something with his swing.

During the club’s road trip, he was 12-for-26 with four home runs, two doubles, four walks and only four strikeouts. Entering play Friday, it gave him a .981 OPS on the season that ranked third highest in the National League.

“When I’m doing what I want to do [with my swing], the results have been good,” said Muncy, noting he’s done a lot of tinkering mechanically over the season’s first month. “It’s just trying to find the consistency of getting the mechanics to work every single day. You keep putting in the work every day, that’s part of the process. You just got to trust it.”

Just as impressive as Muncy’s big week at the plate was what he did in the field and on the bases.

The 35-year-old was the only player on the team (outside of DH Ohtani) to start in all seven games of the road trip — including four straight in the high altitude of Denver that garnered praise from Roberts and teammate Miguel Rojas.

“It’s not easy to play here, and he did it [well],” Rojas said. “He played lockdown defense, like he always does.”

Indeed, Muncy’s defense has been an early bright spot — he ranks fifth in defensive runs saved among third basemen — thanks to the improved shape he got in this offseason.

That work has also paid dividends with his foot speed, which was on display when he scored via an aggressive send from third base coach Dino Ebel on Thursday. This year, Muncy is averaging 27 ½ feet per second of sprint speed, his personal best since 2019 and almost in the top third of all big leaguers.

PROSPECT OF THE WEEK

Kendall George (.377 average, .898 OPS, 12 stolen bases in Double-A this year)

Have you seen what super-speedster Chandler Simpson is doing for the Rays?

Well, the Dodgers might just have their own version climbing through the minor leagues.

Meet Kendall George, the fastest player in the entire organization.

A former first-round draft pick in 2023 who arrived in pro ball with ample questions about his swing, George has started to blossom offensively, batting .377 so far with Double-A Tulsa. Because of that, he has also been able to put his speed increasingly on display, coming off his stunning 100 stolen bases last year with High-A Great Lakes.

Clips of George’s play are becoming nightly highlight material in the Dodgers’ farm system now. He is wreaking havoc on the bases, putting the ball in play with more consistent force than ever and joining a deep group of outfield prospects who could knock on the door of the major leagues over the next few seasons.

FUTURE DODGER OF THE WEEK

(Where we identify a potential Dodgers’ future acquisition –– sometimes far-fetched, sometimes not)

Riley O’Brien, RHP, Cardinals (ETA: August)

Even with Edwin Diaz sidelined, adding an elite reliever remains more of a luxury than a necessity for the Dodgers. Diaz, who had loose bodies removed from his pitching elbow this week, should be back some time after the All-Star break. And once the postseason starts, the Dodgers could once again move Roki Sasaki to the bullpen and count on Yamamoto, Ohtani, Glasnow and Blake Snell to make a relief appearance here or there.

Then again, what would stop the Dodgers from making another luxury purchase? 

The Padres are about to be sold for a record $3.9 billion, which points to them not holding a fire sale that would result in them dealing Mason Miller. However, another hard-throwing reliever could be made available by the rebuilding Cardinals. The late-blooming O’Brien, 31, enjoyed a breakout season last year, posting a 2.06 ERA in 42 games with the Cardinals. Pairing a 98 mph sinker with a sweeper and slider, O’Brien has converted each of his seven save opportunities. He’s yet to give up a run this season.

The cost of acquiring O’Brien would be prohibitive, as he is under club control through the 2030 season. But, as mentioned earlier, the Cardinals are rebuilding, meaning they would have to consider dealing him if they’re offered a package of high-end prospects. The Dodgers have a well-stocked farm system, and while they might be reluctant to exchange prospects for a reliever, they could be forced to do so if Tanner Scott regresses to 2025 form.

ONE BIG QUESTION

When will Shohei Ohtani get going?

Much attention has been paid to Kyle Tucker’s unusually aggressive approach at the plate this year.

But Ohtani is off to an eerily similar (and potentially concerning) start.

Like Tucker, Ohtani entered Friday batting .245. And while he still has five home runs and an OPS above .800, his lack of plate discipline has hampered his production.

Ohtani isn’t swinging any more than usual, but he is chasing more frequently out of the strike zone. That was especially apparent during the team’s series in San Francisco, where he went 1-for-13 with five strikeouts and no walks.

The Giants found success by hammering him at the bottom of the strike zone, getting him to eventually chase breaking balls down below it.

“It’s just really hard to slug on balls at the bottom of the zone, and that’s what he’s doing,” Roberts said. “If we can get him back at the belt and swing at those balls, you’ll see the production.”

The Dodgers could use it, of course, with Mookie Betts expected to miss at least another week, and hot starters Teoscar Hernández, Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing all starting to cool off.

“We always expect more from Shohei,” Roberts quipped this week.

Given his results lately, however, that notion is actually true this time.

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